Medicine mixing and dispensing device



Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF 1ct Esther C. Toronto, loston, Mass. Application M22/rbh 25, 1941-, N0. '3351211 4 'Claims e The object of this invention is 'to provide a device that `may "be manufactured Yecoi-ioiinically `and is simple iHOpelati'OI'I, whereby 'soluble imateri-al, such as medicinal preparations, maybe dissolved in a llowing stream of liquid, sl'lch ,as water, to -form solutions of dileren't concentrations to be dispensed for *the purpose desired; -or the stream `oi liquid may pass through the device Without enterin-g the receptacle containli-ng the soluble matter.

With this object in View, my invention :come prises the parts, combinations and arrangements of parts, Vhereinafter more fully described and then particularly pointed out lin the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of `a medicine mixing and dispensing device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is 4a plan view-of fthe same.

Fig. 3 is a central Vvertical section takenfon the line 3-3 o'f Fig. -1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section :taken on thefl'ihe 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an eleva-tion ofthe cylindrical casing hereinafter described.

Fig. f6 is an elevationc the cylindrical mein ber enclosed Within Yand rotatable with respect to said casing.

Fig. 7 is a central lvertical section of -a mediecl `form of construction, and

Fig. 8 is :a similar section cfa further modifica tion.

In the particular "drawings selected for more fully disclosing my invention, l0 is v'a 'vessel of any suitable material, "such `'as metal -or a plastic composition rthat is not affected by the medicinal or other `material employed, and herein 'shown as cylindrical. "Within 'Said vessel is a perforated cylindrical casing `l I provided With apertures at2, which inayextend around vthe periphery of .said casing, or may be arranged in two oppes'itely disposed groups, vas shown lin The lowerend of the :casing Tis closed, by any suitable means, such .as the stud 1'3, :shown as integral `with .the -'bottoni thereof, said casing, which preferably :lis spaced away ffrcm the -wall of .the vessel |20, may be .rigidly `secured to the base .t4 l'of the vessel. By'fm'eans vvof the flanged cap l5, shown-Vas in threaded engagement with the upper end of the vessel and abutting the upper endlo'f the `'cylindrical casing, the Vessel may be closed with a fluid-tight joint. Disposed Within said fixed casing is a perforated openended cylindrical member I6 which closely ts the cylindrical casing and is rotatable therewith,

the lower ,end l'ol lsaid cylindrical member 'aient ting the bottoni o' the Acasng and the upper end thereof extending beyond the upper end `off sii/'id casing and projecting through the central aper ture 'with which said cap is provided. Thel'ilpe per end -of the member 'Iternlay -be -c'losed in any suitable manner, -a's icy the hanged cap N, ner-ein shown as in threaded engagement with the iupper en-d thereof, said cap, 'if used, preferably being'knurled for cor'iven'ience in rotatably linering themernber it with respect t-io the il, in order 'to vary the degree fo'f registration et the Yperforati'ons i8 therein and the peri,orl'iions l2 of the enclosing casing il.

As indicated Fig. '2, the flipper -surfacelc the 'cap l5 maybe graduated tp indicate the degree of co=operation between the Iperil@rations in -ftle two 'cylindrical v-nrieinbei's and therebythe strength v'of the solution formed by dissolving 'the kmats-arial 119 enclosed Within therotatable cylindrical inemper. obviously, the freta'tien ci the cylinder it through Ia very small arc will bring lthe tvvp sets 4of perfcrations ccmpletely'eatcf register, Iii they are accurately spa-'ced 'in A'the two cylinders, but, to compensate `for possible inaccuracies, Aa ASinarll: Full-closed is placed on the upper surf-afee thecap vliti to indicate that a-perfnra'tedi'quiadrant (in the present instance) ci the cylinder is opposite an imper'fora'te uuadran't of the cuter cylinder, it being obvious that when the parts are in ythis adjustment, 'there can be no possibility of liqud'llow "through the soluble material.

Any convenient means, such 'as the pointer '20, attached to the cap lli, may 'be employed to indicate the nposition cf 'the jper'fcraticns in fthe wall ci vthe inner cylinder with y'respect fte those of "the outer.

The vessel is -proyifded with inlet Aand outlet ports 2l, 22, pre'feiabl-y located in different hurl Zonta] `planes and preferably oppositely disposed, said ports being provided, in the present 'ili- `stance, with extensions :2i-Ii', respectively, fier receiving rubber tubing, #er the like, whereby :the inlet ipOrt maybe edntlete :t the -SOUIC'e fbf :the lifqllii in r.the lSollllole Vmatten' is to be .ii-isir'solve'd, for example, ,-.a diet ,and :cold Water xnix-i-fn faucet, and the outlet ,portconnectedtofthefpoint Whefe .Stili-3 .isollltn iiS i190 he '.ldsed ,.for fexample, a receptacle iin :which -an @injured hand, pr.,other member, :is "teme-treated. Y

in :hospital wor-k, these-ner cylinder that @ons tains the substance I9 is first rotated so that the two sets of perforations are completely out of register and then the .temperature of the Water owing through the vessel .isuregulated to suit the treatment to be given the patient, whereupon the inner cylinder is given such partial rotation as will give the concentration of the solution required for such treatment. The spacing of the graduation marks on the face of the cap l can readily be determined experimentally and will depend, among other things, upon the total effective area of the inlet and outlet ports to and from the inner cylinder aiorded by the degree of co-operation or registration of the perforations of the two relatively movable cylinders.

For treatments of greater length than could be made with the material contained in the inner cylinder IB, there may be substituted for the cap or closure member l1, another form of removable closure consisting of a receptacle 30, shown in the present instance as in threaded engagement with the upper end of the cylindrical member I6 (Fig. 7), the cubical contents of said receptacle being at least comparable to, or preferably greater than, that of said member.

To prevent the possible caking of the soluble material in said receptacle due to the flow of water thereinto, and the clogging of the outlet thereof, means must be employed to exert a counteracting pressure on the upper surface of the material in the receptacle, and in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. '7, such means consists of a resilient bulb 3|, coupled to the upper end of the receptacle by the ring 32, which is threaded to the upper end of said receptacle and provided with a groove 33 for receiving the rib 34 formed on the lo-wer edge vof the bulb. Y

Obviously, the same result can be effected by the construction shown in Fig. 8, in which the removable closure of the cylindrical member I6 consists of the tubular extension 6B, the lower end of which is threaded to the upper end of said cylindrical member and which is provided with an apertured and anged cap 4I threaded to the upper end thereof. Within said extension member 40 is disposed a piston 42, the stem of which projects through the aperture in the cap 4l, and is provided at its upper end with a knob 43,

Should the outlet of the receptacle S, or tubular extension 40, become clogged, due to the calcing of the material therein, it will be obvious that the pressure exerted on such material by squeezing the bulb 3l, or forcing down the piston 42, will drive the same downwardly into the cylindrical member I6.

In all the embodiments of my invention where the apertures or perforations in the walls of the cylindrical casing Il and cylindrical member IG do not extend entirely around the respective peripheries thereof, it is preferable that the perforated portions of said cylindrical casing il be Aoppositely disposed and in alignment with the inlet and outlet ports 2| and 22 of the vessel I0, in order to facilitate the flow of liquid through the two concentric perforated cylinders.

Having thus described illustrative embodiments of my invention without, however, limitlng the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described, comprising a vessel provided with oppositely disposed inlet and outlet ports located in different horizontal'planes, a perforated cylindrical casing centrally disposed in said vessel in spaced relation with the interior wall thereof, said casing being closed at its lower end, means rigidly securing said casing to the base of said vessel, a anged cap in threaded engagement with the upper end of said vessel and abutting the upper end of said cylindrical casing, said cap having a central aperture, a perforated open-ended cylindrical member rotatably disposed Within and closely tting said casing, the lower end of said cylindrical member abutting the bottom of said casing and the upper end thereof extending beyond the upper' end of said casing and projecting through the aperture in said cap, and means l engaging the upper end of said cylindrical member for closing and for rotating said member with respect to said casing to vary the degree of registration of the perforations in said casing and said member.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a vessel having inlet and outlet ports, a perforated cylindrical casing centrally disposed in said vessel in spaced relation with the interior wall thereof, said casing being closed at its lower end, means rigidly securing said casing to the base of said vessel, a flanged cap in threaded engagement with the upper end of said vessel, said cap having a central aperture, a perforated open-ended cylindrical member rotatably disposed within and closely tting said casing, the lower end of said cylindrical member abutting the bottom of said casing and the upper end thereof extending beyond the upper end of said casing and projecting through the aperture in said cap, and a removable closure for said cylindrical member whereby the degree of cooperation of the perforations in said casing and said member may be varied.

3. A device of the character described, comprising in combination a vessel having inlet and outlet ports, two perforated concentric cylindrical members centrally disposed in said vessel, the cylindrical wall of the outer member being spaced away from the wall of said vessel and the inner cylindrical member being mounted for rotation within and closely fitting the outer of said members, the upper end thereof extending beyond the upper' end of the outer member, means rigidly securing said outer member to the base of said vessel, a removable closure for the inner cylindrical member comprising a receptacle removably secured to the upper end thereof, and a resilient closure for said receptacle.

4. A device of the character described, comprising in combination a vessel having inlet and outlet ports, two perforated concentric cylindrical members centrally disposed in said vessel, the cylindrical wall of the outer member being spaced away from thewall of said vessel and the inner cylindrical member being mounted for rotation within and closely fitting the outer of said members, the upper end thereof extending beyond the upper end of the outer member, means rigidly securing said outer member to the base of said vessel, a removable closure for the inner cylindrical member comprising a receptacle removably secured to the upper end thereof, and means for exerting pressure on the upper surface of material enclosed Within said receptacle.

ESTHER C. TORONTO. 

